Just Listen: NPR's Pop Culture Happy Hour

Last week I started my feeble attempt at spreading the word about various podcasts that I love with, the Judge John Hodgman podcast.  This week I'd like to tell you about NPR's Pop Culture Happy Hour.  It's a weekly podcast that is typically recorded and made available on Fridays.

One thing I love about the podcast is that the group has tremendous chemistry and the fact that they are always good for a laugh and turning you onto something that you haven't heard of.  They have a great and unique take on damn near everything pop culture related.  The only negative is that it's uber white bread.  Sometimes they go a little overboard with show-tunes references, but things like Hip-Hop and the passing of Dwayne McDuffie (Yes, I know he was mentioned on their blog, but why not the podcast?) get little or no attention.

A great example of their senses of humor would be their discussion of movie & television archetypes.  You can fast forward to the 8:20 mark, where they discuss character types like the Manic Pixie Dream Girl:

The Manic Pixie Dream Girl exists solely in the fevered imaginations of sensitive writer-directors to teach broodingly soulful young men to embrace life and its infinite mysteries and adventures. The Manic Pixie Dream Girl is an all-or-nothing-proposition. Audiences either want to marry her instantly (despite The Manic Pixie Dream Girl being, you know, a fictional character) or they want to commit grievous bodily harm against them and their immediate family.

I definitely recommend giving this podcast a try.  If you are a fan of movies and or television, I guarantee that you won't be disappointed.

Thanks for stopping by,

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